More than 1 000 restaurant staff fed for a month as North Coast eateries unite

Working together, restaurants across the North Coast delivered 251 food parcels of essentials to desperate restaurant workers last week.

Although the pandemic has hurt many businesses, few have been harder hit than restaurants who have been forced to repeatedly shut their doors over the past 18 months.

It has signaled a huge loss of income for many restaurant owners, but the real cost has come for restaurant staff who suddenly were unable to work.

The Ballito Restaurant Association (BRA) has 34 members and together they employ over 550 people.

Many restaurants have tried to keep staff on the payroll but it has often proved impossible with owners hemorrhaging money just to keep the lights on.

ALSO READ: Help feed more than 500 hungry Ballito restaurant staff not earning a salary

To provide temporary relief, the BRA ran a fundraising campaign to collect parcels to be donated to restaurant staff and their families.

“I know we do compete as restaurants, but this is competing kindly and correctly to try and help out our staff who have been in dire need of the support,” said Fabien Durocher-Yvon, owner of Fiamma Grill.

The parcels have enough food to feed a family of 4 for a month.

With the help of the North Coast community, more than 1 000 people can at least remove access to food as a worry over the next month.

“It may seem that we work alone as restaurants, but the evidence of this past month shows that we can do so much more together,” said Taso’s Bar and Grill owner, Andre Erasmus.

As vaccinations grow in number across the country, the restaurant industry predicts a slow return to normalcy over the next few months.

If you can, keep in mind those whose salary is subsidised by tipping when making your next visit.